Wall solves problem
Crescent Beach resident Milton Murray solved a problem he had with the brisk breezes on the west side of his property. He wanted a small garden area, but a constant wind blowing off the Intracoastal Waterway was not conducive to plantings.

Microsoft warning prompts stocks dip
NEW YORK (AP) -- Spooked by an earnings warning from Microsoft, investors Friday dumped high-technology stocks in a selloff that quickly spread across the market.

Easybridge! class to graduate
A graduation party for the St. Augustine Duplicate Bridge Club's Easybridge! Class of 2000 will be held at the Bridge Center at 4 p.m. today. The class has completed 50 weeks of lessons, four instruction manuals, numerous quizzes and countless corny jokes.

Out and About
From the local scene, upcoming concerts, bands and performances

May I have a word?
As the year 2000 began, Americans were worried that a tiny, computer-related fluke (Y2K) would shut down our entire electrical system. Now, as the year ends, it turns out that a tiny, computer-related flake (chad) has shut down our entire electoral system.

Wildlife Discoveries
It seems no matter how often others and I cover problems with backyard wildlife, wherever I go I hear the same complaints. At a recent workshop with attendees from all over the United States, I heard many familiar stories -- too many based on misconceptions. So here goes, and forgive the repetition if you've heard any of this before.

Still performing, Brubeck has outlasted his critics
When Dave Brubeck utters a heartfelt sob as he recounts his shocking boyhood encounter with the horror of racism in America, Ken Burns' documentary ''Jazz'' soars to its most emotionally wrenching heights.

The confidings of a former Russian leader
''Midnight Diaries'' conjures up the air of a confessional. Picture a man furtively scribbling while the house is abed, burning the last oil in the lamps to reveal his soul. Perhaps a snifter of single malt Scotch on the table.

One courageous lady
She was an all-American in high school in basketball and softball, and she was a winner. ''I hate to lose,'' she says. ''I really do, and I don't want to start now.''

It's a Great Life
I'm changing the lyrics of that old Christmas favorite ''All I want for Christmas are my two front teeth.'' I'm personally humming this season ''All I want for Christmas are my glasses and my voice.''

Give a gift of health this holiday season
Chocolates, cookies and festival cakes are fine holiday gifts but how about some healthy gift ideas for friends and family. To those who are health conscious, here are some alternative gift ideas with help from Food Talk Newsletter:

Juvenile murder rate down to 33-year low
WASHINGTON -- A six-year decline in murders by teen-agers brought the 1999 homicide arrest rate for juveniles down 68 percent from its 1993 peak to the lowest level since 1966, the Justice Department reported Thursday.

Army grounds all Apache helicopters
WASHINGTON -- The Army grounded its entire fleet of Apache attack helicopters as a precaution after discovering a flaw in a key component of the flight control system, officials said Friday.

Panel recommends adding estrogen to federal cancer list
WASHINGTON -- While stressing the value of estrogen treatments for women, a government scientific advisory panel recommended Friday that the chemical be added to the nation's list of cancer-causing agents. Maybe, one scientist said, this step might encourage doctors to talk with their patients about both the risks and the benefits.

Woman jumps or falls from plane, is presumed dead
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- A Hewlett-Packard employee jumped or fell out the door of a company plane at 2,000 feet, despite an attempt by another passenger to restrain her, the FBI said. The woman was presumed dead.

Antitrust regulators clear enormous media merger
WASHINGTON -- Antitrust regulators gave approval Thursday to the $111 billion merger of America Online and Time Warner -- the largest media deal in U.S. history -- with safeguards to ensure Americans will have broad choices as the Internet evolves.

Bush tinkers with lineup for his team
WASHINGTON -- Victory secured, President-elect Bush invited a Democratic senator to Texas for a job interview and tinkered Thursday with the final components of his White House and national security teams.

Gene mutation doubles life span
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Mutation of a gene whimsically named ''I'm not dead yet'' can double the life span of fruit flies, a laboratory discovery that researchers said may lead to drugs to help people live longer and, perhaps, even lose weight.

FBI agents protest clemency request
WASHINGTON -- Marching two-by-two and wearing blue memorial ribbons, hundreds of FBI agents staged an unprecedented demonstration at the White House on Friday, protesting any presidential clemency for an American Indian activist convicted of killing two FBI men in 1975.

Jackscrew is focus of Alaska Air hearing
WASHINGTON -- The tail jackscrew that helps to stabilize an aircraft was the focus of attention Thursday as engineers and inspectors offered their ideas on what caused the fatal plunge of Alaska Airlines Flight 261 into the Pacific Ocean.

First Cabinet appointment due today
AUSTIN, Texas -- President-elect Bush said he would make his first Cabinet announcement on Saturday and Republican officials said it would be retired Gen. Colin Powell as secretary of state. But the Cabinet won't include a Democratic senator Bush met with Friday.

Calif. scrambles for power again, seeks help
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Power-strapped California's reprieve from the threat of blackouts proved brief Thursday as state regulators scrambled to find more electricity and looked to federal officials for more help.

Rabies kills five people
ATLANTA -- Rabies killed five people in the United States this year in the first such deaths reported since 1998, the government said Thursday.

Congress inks final spending deal
WASHINGTON -- Congress Friday approved a final budget deal with President Clinton that provides record spending for education and medical research, channels $35 billion to Medicare and Medicaid providers and uses tax breaks to generate billions of dollars in new investments in distressed urban and rural areas.

Man charged with attempted murder after fight
A 37-year-old Hastings man was arrested on charges of attempted murder and two counts of aggravated assault after two men got into an argument and a shot was fired, according to the Sheriff's Office.

Presents are hard to pay for
A Thanksgiving visit to West Virginia has left one family struggling to find enough money to buy Christmas presents for their children.

Man sentenced in whodunnit DUI case
Defense counsel called it a case of ''mistaken identity.'' Prosecutors called discrepancies in testimony the ''human condition.'' The jury, in this whodunnit DUI case, evidently agreed with the latter.

Feeling bottled up
he San Sebastian Winery, a popular St. Augustine tourist destination, recently revealed plans to triple its interior space with a $1.5 million expansion at its Malaga Street facility.

Easy cure for those dreary holiday blues
An ocean liner glides over the sea with a straightforward motion, varying little from a single purpose: getting to its destination in the most direct and efficient way possible.

State seeking death penalty in murder case
Prosecutors announced Thursday that if James Allen Robinson Sr. is convicted on a first-degree murder charge in the killing of his 41-year-old ex-wife, the state will seek the death penalty.

Update coming on buffer study
Nocatee may be the biggest land issue St. Johns County will deal with in 2001 but there's another that must be discussed ahead of it, says Commissioner John Reardon.

Hit-and-run suspect turns himself in
Gennaro Cappasso III, of 2800 County Road 13A South, No. 20, turned himself in about 6:30 p.m. Friday, after investigators issued a arrest warrant in the Nov. 29 hit-and-run killing of a bicyclist.

CHIP program may be too expensive to continue
CUNNINGHAM CREEK -- First-grader Caitlin Sheridan, 7, wrote an essay in her class titled, ''The Origin of Yule,'' exploring the traditions and history of the Christmas celebration.

Jerry Greer
Funeral services Jerry Greer, 78, St. Augustine, who died Dec. 12, 2000, at the Earl B. Hadlow Center, Jacksonville, will be held at 10 a.m. today at Craig Funeral Home chapel, with Dr. David Rice, pastor, officiating.

William Crist
William Charles Crist, 78, St. Augustine, died Dec. 13, 2000, in Flagler Hospital.

Angelo Bouchard
Graveside services for Angelo E. Bouchard, 59, St. Augustine, who died Dec. 8, 2000, at his home, will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Orangedale Cemetery, with the Rev. Earle Ashe officiating.

Dorothy Sirmans
Dorothy Mattie Sirmans, 83, St. Augustine, died Dec. 12, 2000, at Heartland Health Care Center, Orange Park. She was born in Ocilla, Ga., and she had resided here for over 40 years. She was of the Baptist faith.

Martha Burns
Memorial services for Martha W. Burns, 67, Port Orange, who died Dec. 10, 2000, at her home, will be held at 11 a.m. today at Craig Funeral Home chapel, with the Rev. David Rice, pastor of Ancient City Baptist Church, officiating.

William Crist
Funeral services for William Charles Crist, 78, St. Augustine, who died Dec. 13, 2000, in Flagler Hospital, will be held at 2 p.m. today at Community Bible Church, with the Rev. Charles Lichtenberger officiating.

Letter: Supreme Court likely damaged itself
This is a brief response to the unfortunate letter to the editor by Richard Poland (Dec. 12). The letter was unfortunate in two res-pects: first, it read more like a brief than a letter to the editor and second, it failed to recognize the great value of judicial interpretation based on the "spirit of the law."

Letter: Excluding 'artists' from street absurd
I read the article in Friday's (Dec. 8) Record regarding the enforcement of the new street performer ordinance. I have not read the ordinance itself yet, but the article seemed to say that private citizens who are caught drawing, sketching or painting on North St. George Street would be violating the law. I had previously understood that the ordinance covered only those who were selling their products or merchandise, accepting tips or payment for their services or performances.

Politics over principle
Two centuries ago, our greatest chief justice, John Marshall, declared that America was a ''government of laws, not men.'' No longer. The price of George W. Bush's victory has been the immolation of America's last great standing institution: the Supreme Court.

Letter: Writer misses Jim Sutton
I miss Jim Sutton. I don't know why he left -- or whether it was his idea or someone else's. I still miss him. He had a good sense of humor and he knew this county inside and out. He had his finger on the pulse of the county and there was no doubt that he had lived here for a long time and knew what was going on.

We welcome letters
The Record welcomes letters to the editor from all our readers. Some rules and guidelines are necessary to ensure equal access to the pages, and the accountability of writers.

A hands-on coach
INDIANAPOLIS -- The first thing you notice about the new coach sitting in Larry Bird's old seat is that he sits a lot. Just as Bird did in his first year.

Nease fights off Bartram in OT
Like a script from a Hollywood movie, Friday night's boys basketball clash between Nease and Bartram Trail featured a little bit of everything -- a great opening act, drama and an ending that no one expected.

Three Rivers Stadium finale isn't much to get excited about
They are winding down disappointing seasons that began with so much promise. The Washington Redskins and their $100 million roster promised great things to their fans, while the Pittsburgh Steelers promised to atone for the mistakes of the past.

Jags land two in Pro Bowl
JACKSONVILLE -- Less than 12 months after a devastating knee injury, Jacksonville Jaguars left tackle Tony Boselli earned his fifth consecutive trip to the Pro Bowl.

SAHS grad Player earns trip to Hawaii
Whether it was Frankfurt, Germany or Birmingham, Ala., New York or St. Louis, Grant Street or Joe James Field, Scott Player poured his heart into a dream of becoming a professional punter.

Carroll returns to college as USC coach
LOS ANGELES -- Pete Carroll, who turned down the Southern California coaching job three years ago because of the timing, accepted the position Friday, saying he believes the fit is ideal.

McNabb a surprising Pro-Bowl omission
NEW YORK -- Donovan McNabb may be one of the leading candidates for the NFL's MVP award. But the fans, players and coaches who vote for the Pro Bowl consider him only the fourth-best quarterback in the NFC.

Temple's losing streak hasn't changed Chaney
PHILADELPHIA -- John Chaney's tie knot was closer to his waist than his neck. His sweater had long been banished to the back of a chair. He was screaming so loud that the veins on his neck were visible.

NBA Roundup
TORONTO -- Vince Carter scored 24 points, including three free throws in the last minute, to give the Toronto Raptors a 70-68 come-from-behind victory over the New York Knicks on Thursday night.

Dockery meets with Jeb on fast train bill
TALLAHASSEE -- The retired businessman who spent nearly $3 million on a successful campaign to bring a high speed rail system to Florida met Friday with Gov. Jeb Bush to discuss a bill which would set the wheels in motion for construction of the system.

Glock execution set
TALLAHASSEE -- The state has scheduled Robert Glock, for execution on Jan. 11, Gov. Jeb Bush said Thursday.

Palestinian jailed on secret evidence released
BRADENTON -- A Palestinian locked up for three years on secret government evidence without ever being charged with a crime walked out of jail a free man Friday, into the open arms of his family who wept with tears of joy.

Booster bus overturns
OCALA -- A bus carrying boosters to a high school football championship game overturned on Interstate 75 Thursday, injuring at least 10 people, authorities said.

After inmate dies of cancer, DNA clears him
TALLAHASSEE -- An inmate who died of cancer on death row 11 months ago has been cleared by DNA in the 1985 murder of an 8-year-old girl. The FBI has not written its final report on the case of Frank Lee Smith, but prosecutor Carolyn McCann said she called the bureau earlier this week and was told: ''He has been excluded. He didn't do it.''

Plane crash kills two
MIAMI -- Two men died Thursday when a small aerobatic plane they were piloting crashed in the Florida Everglades.

Israeli, Palestinian talks fail to bring end to violence, clashes
JERUSALEM -- Six Palestinians were killed in an upsurge of violence that erupted before dawn and carried on after Muslim midday prayers Friday. The violence came despite exploratory talks between Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli negotiators seeking to revive peace negotiations.

Castro, Putin to revive Russia-Cuba relationship
HAVANA -- Reviving a friendship that withered after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russian President Vladimir Putin met Thursday with Cuban leader Fidel Castro, promising little by way of economic aid but pledging to strengthen ties.

Haider arrives for much-criticized visit
ROME -- Widely criticized for his anti-immigrant views, Joerg Haider arrived Friday for a much-opposed meeting with Pope John Paul II proclaiming that he and the pope saw eye-to-eye on the immigration issue.

Saudi Arabia links American to bombing
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi police have linked a detained U.S. citizen to an explosion that killed a British man, a Saudi Cabinet minister said in remarks published Thursday.

Putin offers friendship (but no money) for Cuba
HAVANA -- Short of money to subsidize an old communist ally, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday called for the revival of past ties between Russia and Cuba but reminded Havana it should pay its Soviet-era debt.

Bomb blamed on ETA kills Spanish councilor
VILADECAVALLS, Spain -- A plumber who also served as a city councilor was killed Thursday by a bomb that blew up under the seat of his van. Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar blamed Basque separatist group ETA.

Chernobyl nuclear plant shut down for last time
KIEV, Ukraine -- Chernobyl was shut down forever with the flip of a switch Friday, shifting attention to needed repairs on the sarcophagus covering the nuclear plant's ruined reactor, which is leaking radiation 14 years after the world's worst nuclear accident.

Israelis shoot Palestinian man
JERUSALEM (AP) -- Israeli soldiers shot a Palestinian militant to death Thursday when he pulled a pistol at a military checkpoint in the Gaza Strip, the army said -- the fourth killing of a known Palestinian activist in as many days.

American set free by Russia
LANDSTUHL, Germany -- Pardoned by Russia after being convicted of espionage, U.S. businessman Edmond Pope flew to freedom in Germany on Thursday and declared, ''It's great to be back in the real world.''

France opens hearings on 1995 massacres
PARIS -- A former military chief on Thursday denied media allegations that a French general who led peacekeepers during the Bosnian war had agreed to block air strikes against Bosnian Serbs, who later massacred thousands of Bosnian Muslims.